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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Economics and the economy

Inflation Impacts on Rural Household In the U.S., 2020-2022
Report offering estimates of differences in how inflation between 2020-2022 has impacted rural and urban households based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Examines changes in income and expenses, noting concerns about the increased cost of travel and the cost of health insurance. Discusses the impact of inflation on health and safety concerns including household repairs, uninsured health expenses, and groceries in addition to general economic security.
Author(s): David Peters
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
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Human Services in Rural Contexts: Comprehensive Report
Provides an overview of human services in rural areas, with information focused on human services programs and benefits, economic and social well-being, persistent poverty communities, and adaptations to overcome access barriers in rural areas. Includes tables, graphs, and county-level U.S. maps depicting human services needs.
Author(s): Emily Brimsek, James Murdoch, Emma Ward, Neel Chakraborti, Ashton Cain
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families, Urban Institute
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Engaging Rural Communities to Incorporate Social Determinants in Developing Strategies to Improve Access to Health Care in the Missouri Bootheel Counties
Presents a study on how social determinants of health affect healthcare access in several rural counties in Missouri. Discusses the perceived barriers to care in the rural "Bootheel" counties, such as economic issues, lack of health insurance coverage, and lack of coordinated care, among others.
Author(s): Ashish Shrestha, Katherine Stamatakis, Janice Ballard, Ardella Burgess, Elizabeth Baker
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23, 7678
Date: 01/2023
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Mental Health in Rural New York: Findings and Implications of a Listening Tour with Residents and Professionals
Findings from the Rural Mental Health Listening Tour of New York State, conducted between March 2020 and September 2021 to elicit input and experiences of community members living and working in rural areas. Presents strengths and assets of rural communities, and highlights model programs and success stories. Includes recommendations in categories including access to transportation and broadband, access to mental health programs, availability of services, improving and sustaining workforce capacity, and offers state- and county-specific recommendations.
Author(s): Brett Harris, Katie Gallant, Abby Mariani
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Rural Healthy People 2030
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Taking Stock: Rural People, Rural Places, Rural Housing
Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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COVID-19 Working Paper: Consumer Food Spending Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines U.S. consumer food-at-home (FAH) and food-away-from home (FAFH) purchasing behaviors prior to 2016-2019 and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Provides spending data for U.S. households by age, race and ethnicity, household composition, income, and region. Includes budget share data for fruits, vegetables, and protein, and per capita spending on FAH and FAFH by region and urban/rural areas.
Author(s): Abigail Okrent, Eliana Zeballos
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Health, Work, and Care in Rural America
Report examining rural access to paid leave from work, the economic impacts of limited access to paid leave, and distances to hospital-based and skilled nursing care. Offers a broad view of rural economic and health dynamics, travel burdens to access hospital-based care, and presents policy recommendations to address paid leave as a social determinant of health.
Author(s): Vicki Shabo, Hannah Friedman
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: New America
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Through Natural Disaster to Prosperity: Five Principles to Improve Health and Economic Outcomes for Rural Communities and Native Nations
Describes 5 principles related to natural disasters and community resilience, including conditions that affect disaster vulnerability, relationships among rural communities and natural systems, equity in disaster response, local capacity, and responsive funding. Offers rural and tribal case studies and perspectives from rural economic and community development practitioners.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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How Resilient Are Communities Along the U.S.-Mexico Border?
Examines economic and health risk factor data for the United States-Mexico border region based on Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) and American Community Survey (ACS) data. Compares average risk factor statistics for border counties, non-border counties in border states, and all non-border counties in the U.S., and offers comparisons for the 4 border states.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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